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Atlas

I paced the length of my lawyer's office . The neatly organized shelves, the scent of leather and wood polish—it all made my frustration worse. Why the hell was everything so perfect here when my life was a mess? I hadn’t come to hear things I didn’t want to, and Sam was saying stupid shit. I’d come to fix this Ashlen situation, and his job was to fix it, but he wasn’t.

“She’s going to drag this divorce out, Atlas. Why would you tell her you were giving her tree million dollars? Of course she knows you have more than that.” Sam said, leaning back in his chair. His tone was professional, even though I’d known him since we were in diapers. “And frankly, you’ve made it easier for her to take you for everything you got by moving into Kairi’s house so quickly. The optics aren’t great. You need to move out.”

I stopped pacing and turned to face him. “No. That’s my home now. Fuck that.”

Sam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, but I knew he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. “I’m saying it gives her ammunition. In Florida, it’s no longer about proving adultery or fault, but behavior can still sway a judge’s perception. If Ashlen argues that this new situation disrupted your marriage, right after a miscarriage, it could work against you.”

“That’s bullshit,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the quiet. “We were already separated when I moved in. She initiated the divorce.”

Sam gave me a look. “And you think that matters to her narrative? Atlas, divorces aren’t just legal battles for people like you and Ashlen—then you involved a bestselling author that tons of people know. This is a public relations war. You handed her a perfect storyline. ‘Estranged husband runs off to live with his mistress.’”

“She’s not my mistress,” I growled. “Kairi’s the mother of my child.”

“And Ashlen’s your wife on paper,” Sam reminded me, his voice steady. “Until the ink dries, that still means something.”

I could feel my jaw clenching, my teeth grinding. “I’m not moving out,” I said flatly. “Kairi’s house is my home now. Dion’s there. I’m not going to disrupt my son’s life anymore for anyone.”

Sam held my gaze for a moment before nodding slowly. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do, but you need to know this might drag on longer than you’re prepared for.”

I threw myself into the chair across from his desk instead of throwing the chair like I really wanted to. My frustration came out in a low growl. “This is ridiculous.”

Sam leaned forward, folding his hands. “Atlas, divorces are ugly. They’re expensive. And they’re personal. But we’ll fight this.”

I didn’t feel reassured. Leaving the office felt like walking out with a weight still tethered to my chest.

I was gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white when I pulled out my phone and called my mother. If anyone could rein in Ashlen, it was her. At least, that’s what I hoped.

“Atlas,” she answered, her tone clipped. “This is unexpected.”

“I need you to talk to Ashlen,” I said, skipping the pleasantries.

There was a long pause. Too long.

“No,” she said finally. “I taught you better than this. You’re creating a spectacle and embarrassing your wife.”

I clenched my jaw. “You don’t even like Ashlen.”

“That doesn’t matter. If I have to choose between her and that... woman you’re living with, I’m choosing Ashlen. She’s your wife.”

“She’s my ex-wife.”

“Not yet,” my mother shot back. “And you’ve handled this all wrong. You’re throwing away everything we built for what? A fling?”

My anger surged, hot and immediate. “Kairi is not a fling, and this is not up for debate. Ashlen is destroying my family.”

“Your family?” she echoed, her voice icy. “Your family was with Ashlen. Not... whatever this is.”

“If you’re taking her side, then you’re making your choice clear,” I said, my voice tight. “But don’t expect to meet Dion.”

Her silence on the other end of the line was deafening. “We’ll see,” she said coldly before hanging up.

I dropped my phone onto the passenger seat, staring blankly at the road ahead. I felt trapped, like the walls were closing in, no matter which way I turned. I wished I could go back in time—I’d choose Kairi that first day, the first word spoken. This was my punishment for not doing that, or at least that’s what it felt like.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, my head was pounding. I needed to see Kairi and my son, to remind myself why I was doing all this.

But the moment I stepped inside, a scream tore through the house.

“Kairi!” I shouted, rushing toward the sound.

She was in the kitchen, her phone shaking in her hands. “What’s wrong?” I demanded, my heart racing.

“This bitch,” she said and held up her phone.

I grabbed it, my stomach sinking as I read the screen. I wished I hadn’t insisted Ebony and Lu go home. They were better equipped to deal with this, I was sure of it.